News & Publications


Saskatoon Ranks Seventh in Municipal Benchmarking Study

SASKATOON, SK (JAN 11, 2023) – Today, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) released its 2022 Municipal Benchmarking Study that examines how local development processes, approvals, and charges affect housing affordability and housing supply in major housing markets across the country.

The study compares approaches that 21 Canadian municipalities have in three key areas that affect the development of new home construction: 1) municipal planning approval processes; 2) municipal charges imposed on new development; and 3) municipal approval timelines. In so doing, it highlights key features that help or hinder the process of bringing new housing to approval and ultimate construction, as well as the cost implications for homebuyers of municipal processes, policies, and taxes.

“This report provides valuable insight into how our municipality can better support the efficient and effective delivery of housing supply in our city, and the impact inefficiencies and government fees have on housing affordability,” said Nicole Burgess, CEO of Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association, “The intent is to open a dialogue between industry and the municipality regarding what policies and systems are currently working to support housing supply and affordability in our city and to also identify and provide a path forward on where improvements can be made.”

Rankings for each studied municipality are available in the full report. The rankings show which municipal governments are leading in the three areas – planning features, approvals timelines, and municipal charges – and gives each an overall ranking.

Click here to view the compressed Saskatoon version of the Municipal Benchmarking Study.

Key Findings:

  • The cities of Edmonton, Charlottetown, and London rank highest overall on the list, with strong rankings in at least two of the three categories studied. All ten Greater Toronto and Hamilton and Metro Vancouver municipalities are ranked in the bottom ten.
  • Saskatoon has a combined ranking of seventh across the three categories of approval timelines, government charges, and planning features. The City has the second fastest approval timelines in the study.
  • The City of Saskatoon had the second best average approval timeline at 4.1 months, an improvement from the 2020 Study, with the City’s rank also improving from 3rd to 2nd in this area.
  • Saskatoon also has the highest per unit government charges in Western Canada (except Surrey) for low-rise development at approximately $71,555 per unit. The development fees in Saskatoon are the highest in the region due to frontage-based charges imposed.

Media Contact:

Kirsten Szwydky | Marketing & Communications Coordinator

306-955-5188

marketing@saskatoonhomebuilders.com

The Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association (SRHBA) is the professional association representing approximately 245 companies involved in the housing industry and provides the only certifications available for professional home builders and renovators.

It is the expert voice focused on improving affordability, quality and choice of housing in Saskatoon and Region, and works collaboratively with stakeholders and governments to get there.

For more information, visit: www.saskatoonhomebuilders.com.

Categories

Cover for Saskatoon & Region Home Builders' Association
1,102
Saskatoon & Region Home Builders' Association

Saskatoon & Region Home Builders' Association

Building Homes, Building Communities, Building the Province

Canada is short 3.5 million homes and needs to double housing starts over the next decade to address the supply-demand imbalance and create long-term affordability. Municipalities must help by addressing the challenges of residential construction like zoning restrictions, density limits, and NIMBYism. Learn more about how municipalities can help improve housing affordability and choice at www.affordability.ca ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
Does your construction company need to hire workers? Construction Career Pathways matches eligible workers and employers to create 16-week entry-level placements across the civil, residential, and industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sectors. A $2,400 onboarding incentive is available to those companies that qualify. Learn more at www.CCP-PCC.ca. #BuildForce #employment #construction ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
THANK YOU to everyone who attended Blueprints Unfolded - A Comprehensive Course for Reading and Understanding Construction Drawings.📄 This course provided an introduction to the relationships between construction drawings and building construction. The course goal was to enable students to read and interpret construction drawings, including Floor Plans, Roof Plans, Elevations, Building Sections, Framing Plans and Construction Details.This course was presented by the SRHBA and Skyline Designs.Leave a comment below if you attended this amazing course!👇 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
Here are some more exciting photos from the CHBA National Day on the Hill.🏛️Last week M.P. Kevin Waugh gave SRHBA Board Chair Conrad Ehr (President of Ehrenburg Homes - The Castle Company - Saskatoon) a tour of the House of Commons.CHBA described Day on the Hill best with, "Housing matters – to everyone, in every community. It matters to the economy, and to the economic prosperity of Canadians. It’s a conversation worth having."It's important discussions like these that make the future of the housing industry look promising.🏠#Housing #CHBAnational #CHBAonthehill #HousingAffordability ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
The CHBA National Day on the Hill brings together parliamentarians and home building industry leaders from across Canada for a day on Parliament Hill to discuss housing, Canadians and communities.🏠SRHBA Board Chair Conrad Ehr has been representing the SK home building industry at these pertinent national discussions. 1) Conrad pictured with M.P. Larry Maguire.2) Conrad pictured with M.P. Ted Falk.3) The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing, addressing the CHBA team. ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook